Foot trip for door latches



May 11 1926.

T. w. WHITE FOOT TRIP FOR DOOR LATCHES Filed April 14. 1924 j] UNITED STATES Patented May 11, 1926.

THOMAS w wHIrE, onennnwoon, IOWALT Y roor TRIP ron noon LA'rcHns.

Application filed April 14, 1924. Seria1N 0...706,469

This invention relates to improvements in door latch operating mechanism.

The-primary object of this invention is the provision of a foot trip for door latches, embodying a relatively simple arrangement which may be compactly and efiiciently placed upon a door for operating the conventional hand latch thereof, without detracting from the appearance of the door or latch.

' A further object of this invention is the provision of novel foot operated means for operating door latches to permit easy opening ofa idoor, such as "by a personwhose .hands are occupied with the carrying of bundles or the like, the improved door latch operating means being connected in a novel manner with a conventional door latch construction. v

Other objects and advantages ofthis in vention will be apparent during the course of the following detaileddescription.

In the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification, and wherein sim'- ilar reference characters designate correspondingparts throughout the several views. Figure 1 is a front elevation showing the improved foot trip door latch as positioned upon a door, for operating a conventional type of door latch. 1

Fig. 2 is across sectional view taken through the door latch, showing the means by which the improved foot trip device is connected in a novel relation therewith.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the foot operating part of the improved device, showing the manner in which a cable or chain may be connected therewith.

Fig. 4 is a perspective'view of a foot operating slide and the means of mounting the same upon the door.

In the drawing, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown only a preferred embodiment of the invention, and a preferred type of door latch with which the same may be used, the letter A may generally designate a door, which may have thereon a conventional type of lock or latch device B, which the improved foot trip C is adapted to release upon operation of the latter.

Referring to the type of door lat-ch13, the same of course includes a suitable sliding bolt device which operates within a keeper of the wall in which the door is positioned, and for the purpose of this invention the latch B may also include the square or polygonal, shaped shank portion 15 whichfits ii; within the sleeve part 16of the door knob 17 The door knob 17 is normallyeadapted to be grasped with the hand of a person, in order to operate the door latch,- as caneasily be understood. -A screw or other element isnormally adapted to be positioned through aligning openings 20 and 21 formed inthe sleeve 16 and the shank 15 respectively, for the connection of the door knob for operation of the latch shank 15, as canWel-l be understood by anyone. skilled in the constructionof conventional door latches. This screw or other element used in place thereof I replace with a hook shaped retaining member 25, which is apart of the improveddevice C, and which includes a straight portion26 adapted to radially extend through the aligning openings 20' and 21, and at its inner end be snugly driven ,into the,

opening 21', soldered therein, or otherwise securedto the latch device,

The hook 25 furthermore includes the segmental arcuate portion 28 whichoverlies a portion ofthe outer circumference of the sleeve 16, and'at its 7, free end is provided with a hook end 29 is normally positioned. v

The-improved device QC furthermore infacing upwardly when the latch sleeve cludes a cable '30, consisting of a plurality of relatively short links, and at the upper endthe cable 30 in'cludes'alinkBl which is engaged over the hook end 29, and the cable 30 is spiraled or circumferentially wound about the sleeve 16, for at least one revolution,

and dependsin tangential manner from the 1 sleeve-16, for connection to the novel foot operating'slide member 40. Y

A support 41 for the slide 40 is provided, which at the side edges thereof is provided with the channel shaped flanges 42, providing grooves 43 adapted to receive the side 7 narrower than the'plate45, and which extends outwardly substantially at right angles to the plate 45, at the-same side thereof which faces toward the flanges 42; the flange 43 being of a width sothat thesame will not contactt he retaining flanges 42 during a sliding movement thereof in the member 41. At' its lower end the plate-45 has-a foot engaging flange 48, extending substantiallyat right angles thereto, and of a width less than the width of the plate 45, so that -t will not interfere with the retaining flanges 42 during sliding movement of the member 40 within its support 41. The upper flange 43 is relatively short, and midway of the side edges thereof is provided with a substantially V-shaped slot 49 which is adapted to receive any of the links of which the cable 30 is formed, so'that the length of the cable may be adjusted into a desired length be- :tween the latch construction B and the foot operated slide 40, n v The supporting member 41 in the back thereof is provided with a series of openings 50, which may receive screw elements for securing the supporting or retaining part 41 to the lower part of the door A, and as is illustrated in the drawing. The slide 40 fits in sliding relation within the member 41 so that the flanges 43 and 48 face forwardly of the door A.

In operation in order for a person to operate the latch B with his foot, it is merely necessary to press downwardly upon the .slide flange 48, and the cable 30 willbe .drawn taut, and incident to theconnected relation of the cable at its' upper end with the latch sleeve 16, the latch operating mechanism will be rotated to withdraw the bolt (not shown) to permit opening of thedoor,

and as can readily be understood.

From the foregoing description of this 1nvention itis apparent that a novel foot trip device for door latches has been provided,- -WlllCl1 1s extremely practical, and snnple in its nature, cooperating as it does directly with the conventional latch mechanism. The improved foot trip device does not necessarily have to be associated with the spe cific type of door latchshown, but may be used with other types of door latches, as the construction of the same readily adapts itself to-other types of latches.

7 Various changes in the shape, size, and arrangement of parts may be made to the form of invention herein shown and described, without departing from the spirit of this invention or the scope of the claims.

I claim:

'1. In combination with a door and its latch which includes a rotatable operating part, a member connected with the rotatable operating part including an open J-shaped vhooked end, a chain including a link looped in, a retaining member including a pin extending through said openings for connecting the shank and sleeve to prevent detachment thereof, said member having a hooked end outwardly of the sleeve, a foot operated member, and a cable connected at its upper end to the hooked end of the member and being wound about said sleeve and extending for connection to the foot operating member whereby upon operation of the latter the cable will be drawn taut downwardly for rotation of said sleeve and shank to operate the latch.

3'. In combination with a door and a latch flexible member.

4. In combination with a door and its operating latch, a foot operated member movably connected for vertical sliding on the lower part of said door and including a flange extending outwardly substantially at right angles from said door and having a substantially Vshaped notch inwardly of the free endge of said flange, a chain including a plurality of links, means connecting said chain at its upper end with the operating latch of said door, said chain at its lower end'adapted to have any of its links detachably engage in said notch of the flange of said foot operating member.

5. In combination with a door including a latch mechanism with a rotatable shank portion, an end to end flexible chain comprising a plurality of short links, a hook-shaped member carried by the rotatable portion of said latch mechanism for receiving there over a link at the upper end of said chain, a foot operating member including a body portion, a lower foot engaging right angled THOMAS W. WHITE. 

